A message from Leon:

Today begins a brand new chapter in my life. A chapter that mere days ago, seemed so far out of reach.

Tonight for the first time in months, I’ll be sleeping in a safe space, all thanks to the life changing generosity displayed by you all.

As well as this solid foundation, you have also given me the means to rebuild and take back control of my life moving forward.

I already have the first booking cemented in my work diary.

A reality that just this time last week, seemed out of reach.

I’ve been truly overwhelmed by your heartwarming response. Words alone cannot express the impact this will have.

I thank you all for making this turnaround possible. I hope life shows you the same kindness you have shown me.

Leon

I am now closing donations to the fund. We have reached over £2500 and Leon has a home of his own once again. Thanks so much to all who donated. And if you missed out please consider donating to Shelter. Thank you all!

https://england.shelter.org.uk/donate?reserved_appeal_code=20220401-IG-30&gad=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_ItLD1gWLgfPioBpwP9Yh94OWcw&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3b-ezsvbgAMVGuXtCh05CANXEAAYASAAEgL0-vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&_its=JTdCJTIydmlkJTIyJTNBJTIyY2EwNDI2ZDUtMzg4NC00NzZhLTg0MjQtZGUwYjMyOWI0MzYxJTIyJTJDJTIyc3RhdGUlMjIlM0ElMjJybHR%2BMTY5MTk5NjkwMH5sYW5kfjJfODUxNjBfcHBjYXV0b184MTJmMGFkNTcyNDU0YTJkNmMxNjQ3YmUzOGEyMTJhMyUyMiUyQyUyMnNpdGVJZCUyMiUzQTExOTc4JTdE

News!!

At 930 on Weds night I started a @gofundme to help my old band mate Leon who had found himself homeless. I hoped we might manage £500. Instead, we’ve reached our target of £2000 AND with this money available, Leon will move into a room in a shared house tomorrow!

This has only been possible because of the extraordinary generosity of people on social media who have chosen to give up some hard-earned cash to help someone they don’t even know. Leon is moved and amazed by the turn his life has taken since Weds night.

Leon will have his own message in the next few days for everyone who’s helped. I just want to say thank you all for helping my old friend. He is no longer homeless and at risk of violence because of your help. ❤️

I will leave the crowd fund open for the rest of the day and close it down tomorrow. Any extra help towards furnishing, other expenses etc. appreciated if you’d like to help further. Thank you all so much.

UPDATE: This is just a note to say thank you to everyone who has contributed so generously to this crowdfund for Leon. We've achieved so much in twenty-four hours, but the more bolster we can provide, the more we can ensure that he can rebuild his life and career and not slip back into homelessness, so I am increasing the target one last time. Thanks for all the help so far, he can't believe it is happening. Rob

Hi, my name is Rob Burley - @robburl on Twitter - I am a TV producer and author, but this is a different sort of story to the news and politics I'm usually concerned with. This is about a kid I knew back in the 1990s called Leon. I was in Brighton with my mates Sandy (bass) and John (lead guitar) in a band called The High Kind. It was the height of Britpop and we were following our dream of pop stardom. The only way to make that possible was to find a brilliant drummer. So we auditioned and one afternoon a cool guy with a short haircut and a Fred Perry arrived and blew us away. For the next eight months or so we were privileged to share a stage with Leon, our drummer and friend, who made us sound like a real band. His mates and his lovely Mum would often attend gigs. But, when it didn't quite happen for The High Kind, we moved on and lost touch.

I often thought of Leon but didn't know how to reach him. Then, when I finally found myself with digital files of the old songs, I looked again. This time I struck gold and soon Leon and I were reminiscing about the old days and old songs. But pretty soon he was telling me about a run of terrible luck. He'd used his initiative to build his own company transporting goods to Europe but, he told me, the combination of Brexit and Covid cost him the company. Worst of all, his mother passed away from cancer. Leon lost his Mum and found himself deep in debt after paying the funeral costs. Since then, he's been living in a homeless hostel, his laptop stolen and the threat of violence ever-present. He needs a chance to get out and rebuild his life.

Please consider a donation, however small, to help Leon get a deposit together and find a new home - he has a potential place but needs to raise cash fast. We need something upwards of £1,000 to help turn things around for a hard-working, good-hearted person without the family ties that protect the luckier ones from the worst. But we are singing for our supper: I've included a YouTube link to a High Kind song called "Change" from 1996. It's embarrassing for me to hear myself singing but testament to Leon that his drums sound as great as ever. Please help him move onwards and upwards once again by donating.

Thanks,

Rob